Tag Archives: showcase

If you’ve been on Facebook anytime over the past month, you’ve definitely seen a whole lot of relationship status changes and pictures of sparkly rings. That’s because it’s engagement season! During the month of December there are thousands of newly-engaged couples wading into the intimidating waters of wedding planning. But have no fear because January is filled with wedding expos and showcases!

Attending a wedding expo can be daunting, especially if you’re unfamiliar with what goes on behind the scenes of planning a wedding. Wedding shows can be incredibly helpful in introducing you to the process and helping you get connected with local florists, planners, caterers, photographers, and everything else you may need for your big day. We’ve put together a few “do’s and don’ts” to help you survive the journey!

DO plan ahead!
Your wedding show experience will be so much more enjoyable if you know what you want to get out of it. Are you just trying to get an introduction to wedding planning? Are you searching for a DJ and videographer? Whatever your goal is, make a game plan to make sure you achieve it. Research the attending vendors and make note of the booths you definitely want to stop by.

DON’T bring a posse!
It’s exciting to plan a wedding and you want to share that excitement with everyone, but a wedding expo is really not the time to do it. Showcases can be packed, so it can be difficult to keep track of your mother-in-law, your grandmother, your little cousin, and your bored-as-can-be fiance. Keep your posse small so you can focus on the task at hand. We recommend bringing along one person who can keep you on track and is enthusiastic to help.

DO take notes!
You’ll be given a map and/or list of attending vendors when you walk in the door. Keep a pen handy and circle the vendors you want to go back to once you’ve made your rounds or to research online after you go home. This lets you cover a lot of ground and stay organized while doing it!

DON’T leave early!
It’s easy to get burned out early on (especially if you’re wearing uncomfortable shoes) but don’t leave before the giveaways! Most wedding shows will have vendor giveaways towards the end of the program. You have a great chance of winning free limo services, invitation discounts, or even a free honeymoon. The only catch is that you most likely will have to be there to claim your prize, so stick around!

DO keep an open mind!
You might know exactly what you want for your big day and have a perfectly-curated Pinterest board to back it up, but once you walk into an expo that can all go out the window. There will be dozens of vendors with dozens of approaches and styles. Be open to new ideas AND the realities of budgets and timelines.

You can find us at the Washington Wedding Experience on January 4th and 18th. We will also be at the Washingtonian Unveiled wedding showcase on January 25th. More info can be found on our Events page.